The Federal Executive Council (FEC), Monday, has approved a contract of about N1 trillion for the construction of the first phase of the coastal roads across Nigeria.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who stated this after the meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the presidential Villa, Abuja, explained that the phase is part of the 700-kilometer road which cuts across nine states and with two links leading to the northern states.
Umahi stated that Monday FEC approved the fund for the first phase made of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriage way of five lines on each side and a train track in the middle.
He also said that the project will be constructed with concrete.
“Today, we had the approval of FEC for the construction of 700 kilometres of coastal routes running from Lagos through the nine coastal routes or states up to cross the river, meaning that it goes to Lagos, the Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun state, Ondo State, Delate Bayelsa, Port Harcourt and Akwa Ibom.
“But we also have two spurs that lead to the north, from the ongoing Badagry-Sokoto route and the one that leads to the trans-Sahara route that goes from Ogoja down to Cameroon.
“Now, it is a dual carriageway. Each carriageway has five lanes and a provision for a train infrastructure that will be in the middle.
“The October 30th, FEC had approved that this project be procured under EPC+ Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing. And so in favour of High Tech Construction African Limited, which means that they were supposed to search for funding.
“They already have started searching for the funding, but hitches here are there. And so, the Ministry went back to Mr. President to ask for two things and that was on January 18. We asked can we fast fast-track this.
“Since this project was going to be procured in two phases and multiple sections, can we get the federal government to fund phase one, which is what are 47.47 kilometres running from Ahmadu Bello in Lagos down to Lekki Deep Seaport? Mr. President graciously approved.
“We also have the challenge of a lot of infrastructure on this on-the-road corridor. So, we requested Mr. President to approve that we realign the road, so that we move closer to the ocean shore, and then avoid those properties which could lead to litigation. Mr. President also approved.
“But then that led to a new challenge. And the challenge is the need to start the project as quickly as possible to protect, you know, the communities along the corridor.
“So today, we have procured the first section, which is 47.47 kilometres, under 10 lanes and FEC graciously approved the contract for N1.067tn with no objection.
The Minister also informed that FEC approved that the second section be procured and funded by the federal government which is about 57 kilometres and that runs from Lekki deep Seaport to the boundary between Ogun and the section of two phase one.
“And then the third section is to start from the end of the road, which is Calabar. And so that’s about 50 kilometres, and is procured under section three of phase one, and is running from you know, Calabar and going towards Akwa Ibom and Port Harcourt.
“Then the other sections and other places will still be under EPC+F in favour of High Tech Construction Africa Limited.
“The company is very well known in this kind of infrastructure development. An example is the Eko Atlantic Ocean which would have swallowed the entire Victoria, and they’ve been able to conquer it under the same procurements.
“But let me also announce that the road is going to be constructed with concrete and they are masters in that you can see example Apapa-Oshodi expressway, which will usually have seven hours of trucks do that, but today is a tale of joy. They are also the same company that is constructing the deep seaport under the same concrete technology.
“Besides that, we also have good news about some of the projects that were awarded between 2006 and 2018. And of course, you know, the prices of construction materials, like in 2006 should be expecting asphalt to cost about N2000 per meter square, and today’s constant between N27,000 and N30,000 per meter square.
“The same thing goes with diesel, the same thing goes with cement. And so, some of these projects are stuck. And you know, one of such that lifted today, the dualization of Kano-Maiduguri road, section four, Damaturu-Maiduguri, was awarded in 2006. And it has stopped because the contracts can no longer carry it.
“But today is been augmented from N39 billion. It has breath now and they can now go on.
“And then we have another project that is the maintenance of Pankshin-Gindiri Road in Pankshin in Plateau state. It was awarded in 2017 and the project has stopped. But today it has gotten great momentum from 10bn to N20bn.”